FOCUS ON COORDINATION OF OPERATORS ENSURING THE QUALITY OF SERVICE IN TOURISM

The report focuses on the quality of service in tourism and in particular on the quality of blanks and work processes in the various issuing units and their coordination in the overall production process. Investments are focused not only on improved innovations in machine software and equipment, but also on such tricks and connections in the production cycle providing a high level of service and culture of consumption. Facilitating the processes provides a level of competition and creates an opportunity for affordability in quality and price. Emphasis is placed on the flexibility of tour operators and the tourist product and tourist service they offer, their quality, organization and management. Satisfying the modern "global tourist" requires not only knowledge of the structure of the offered tourist product and service, but also seeks an answer to the question "How" to be created and implemented.

THE SARS-CoV-2 PANDEMIC IN BULGARIA AND THE CHALLENGES OF REAL-TIME DISTANCE LEARNING FOR TOURISM UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 pandemic brought changes in various aspects of life, including educational field. The present study reveals some of the challenges related to real-time distance learning for university students majoring in tourism in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The study includes Bulgarian and international students in full-time and part-time bachelor's and master's tourism programs, in which real-time distance education was introduced for the first time. The current study could be a starting point for improving the organization and quality of education of Tourism students, as well as for faster overcoming of related difficulties in communication with students.

GEO-SPATIAL PROBLEMS IN BULGARIA'S REGIONS BORDERING GREECE AND THEIR IMPACT ON TOURISM

The report focuses on geospatial issues in the border areas with Greece. These are the geographical location, the tourist location, the distribution of the border checkpoints, the relief, the transport network, etc. Border and mountain areas are defined. Border municipalities are analyzed by many parameters. The spatial distribution of the accommodation tourist base in the border municipalities is analyzed. Relevant conclusions and recommendations are indicated.

SANITARY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PERSONNEL IN THE CATERING AND ENTERTAINMENT ESTABLISHMENTS IN TOURISM UNDER COVID-19

The worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 has affected all sectors of economy and has had a negative effect on the development of tourism globally. The operators in the tourism industry have faced the challenge of saving and restarting the business and are focusing their efforts on designing measures which will ensure the safety and health of both tourists and personnel. This report aims to present the regulatory framework for the new sanitary requirements for the staff, imposed by the scale of the epidemic and to discuss their reflection on the hygienic regime and operational standards in servicing visitors to CEE (catering and entertainment establishments) in tourism, taking as an example a particular tourism site.

THE ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND CORPORATE E-TRAINING FOR THE EMPLOYEES IN BULGARIAN TOURISM INDUSTRY

The success of the tourism industry as part of the service sector depends on the quality in a great extent, therefore qualified and motivated employees are crucial. Tourism is above all a business for the people, and the quality of the relationship between the employees in the tourism enterprise and the tourists is one of the most important components for the overall tourist experience. Education and training are key factors for the sustainable development of tourism by providing the necessary skills at all levels. Global development and mobility opportunities make it possible for tourism development to outstrip staffing levels. There is a mismatch between the existing education, the vocational training, and the real needs of the sector. At the same time, new challenges arise, and they require continuous training for employees in the sector. The main purpose of the scientific report is to investigate the role of information technologies and corporate e-learning in the Bulgarian tourism industry. Based on the bibliographic review, there was a lack of research on corporate e-learning in the field of tourism in Bulgaria as well as insufficient information on the role of information technologies as part of the training process. The study, the results of which will be presented in the report, identifies existing practices on corporate training and the application of information technologies as part of the training process among the respondents - Bulgarian tourism organizations. The study aims to identify the difference between the possibilities of available information technologies and their real application in the process of corporate training and human resource development in Bulgarian tourism.

TOURIST RESOURCES FOR BUSINESS TOURISM IN SOFIA AND PLOVDIV

The article presents the resources for business tourism in Sofiya and Plovdiv. These events are described in the "Catalogue of fairs and exhibitions in Bulgaria". In Sofia, such events are held at the Inter Expo Center, the Central Department Store, the National Palace of Culture, the Universiade Hall and Sofia Tech Park, while in Plovdiv they are organized only at the International Fair. The article uses the terms exhibition day, when a fair or exhibition is held and calendar day when one or more exhibitions are held in the city. Intensity interval is the ratio between the exhibition days and the calendar days by rounding to the second decimal place and it can be explained as the number of exhibitions that residents (visitors, tourists) of (in) a city can visit in one day.

AD EXEMPLUM SUSTAINABLE ACCOMMODATION PRACTICES ON THE BULGARIAN BLACK SEA COAST

Tourism in Bulgaria is a cross cutting sector of particular importance for unemployment and poverty eradication. As a source of foreign exchange earnings and direct investments it ensures viable medium and long-term economic benefits for both the destination and the local community. In recent years, the sustainable development of tourism on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast is seriously threatened, mainly due to the consequences of mass sea tourism, the short-sighted use of available resources and the territorial concentration of accommodation facilities. The aim of the present study is to establish the achievements of the hospitality business on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast in terms of sustainability and environmentally friendly lifestyle.

THE SPECIFICS OF THE OFFER OF A MOUNTAIN DESTINATION FOR SKI TOURISM

Mountain ski tourism is an important type of tourism, which is economically and culturally valuable industry particularly for developed countries. Not all mountain regions are appropriate for ski tourism development, however. The purpose of the report is to show the specifics of a mountain destination and its potential of offering ski tourism. Some analyzes and reports will outline the characteristics and the specifics of offering of mountain tourism for ski. The results are indicating the potential and the structural risks, new market conditions and trends, the principal of planning and the frame work of mountain ski tourism development. Factors that include climate, topography, scenery and the seasonal cycle all determine the facilities and activities of mountain ski tourism, reflecting the strong interdependency between the mountain ecosystem and the mountain tourism system. Ski tourism development must therefore go hand in hand with protecting and preserving these resources to ensure tourism's long-term growth and viability. Investments in ski tourism-related facilities can valorize these resources in terms of creating employment and income to the local residents of mountain regions.

FEATURES OF CONNECTIVITY AMONG FRANCHISING NETWORKS IN HOTEL INDUSTRY

The main thesis supported in this study is that connectivity is embedded in the hotel franchise due to its systemic nature, the number of participating levels, elements and entities, the complex relationships between them, the transfer of tangible and intangible assets, multifaceted communications of formal and informal nature and others. In this regard, the main purpose of the paper is to reveal the nature of connectivity in the hotel franchise and how it affects the functioning and development of the system. The first part of the report examines the peculiarities of the relationships between business entities in the hotel franchise. The next part presents two main concepts for connectivity management in franchising networks in the hotel industry, and at the end some conclusions and recommendations for the development of franchise partner networks are systematized.

PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION IN SPA TOURISM AS A MAIN COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Development in the spa industry is going through difficulties caused by the world situation of tourism recovery. In days of compliance with anti-epidemic measures and social distance, the restoration of the spa offer will be based on innovative solutions for diversity in the spa services and products. This is the challenge of more enterprising and resourceful professionals in business to avoid the struggle for survival. One of their main fulcrums is reorientation towards non-price competition, which is based on the distinctive features of the product. Either it consists of innovative product design or mere market segmentation, product differentiation typically involves externalities across competitors, which clearly play an important role in firm's competitive incentives to invest in differentiation. The purpose of this report is through research and analysis of supply and development in spas, to prove the hypothesis that the diversity of spa products and services is fundamental to recovering in a highly competitive and further financially aggravated, current environment in tourism.